15 August 2014

What on earth? In the middle of a war this country’s president publicly says is justified owing to the relentlessness of the rocket fire against civilian populations, U.S. officials proudly tell the Wall Street Journal, they are holding up weapons transfers to Israel:They decided to require White House and State Department approval for even routine munitions requests by Israel, officials say.Instead of being handled as a military-to-military matter, each case is now subject to review—slowing the approval process and signaling to Israel that military assistance once taken for granted is now under closer scrutiny.

I really don't know what to say about the contents, besides the story is being a) confirmed and b) denied by various sources every half an hour or so, so let's wait for a while. Besides, delaying some specific weapons for a while is not yet a war. But then, stopping the flights to Israeli for a day or two is not a war. And stopping USPS delivering mail to Israel is not a war. And calling poor Bibi names (which I thought is my personal prerogative only!) is not a war as well.

I would propose to follow the lead of our maverick minister of finance, one Yair Lapid, who, while not being exactly schooled in finances (or any other science or trade or craft for that matter), learned how to say "NO" to all those who wish to stick their grubby hands in the nation's treasury. Proof:

The state asked the High Court of Justice on Tuesday to reject a petition seeking to force it to declare Operation Protective Edge a war.

And all that why? Cause our darling Yair aims to save a few shekels in compensations for various losses, which will be lost to the treasury if Protective Edge is declared a war.

I hope you see where I am leading. Yes, in both cases declaring whatever is going on as a war will have a deleterious effect - on that same treasury Yair Lapid is sworn to protect. So let's tone it down a bit, why don't we? Cal it operation.